A vast amount of research and development work is currently underway, aimed at producing solar cells which are capable of being fabricated at low cost and with large operating surface area for a variety of applications both as a primary and secondary power source. In particular, solar cells fabricated from thin film polycrystalline silicon, utilizing vacuum deposition techniques, have previously been investigated as one possible approach to achieving the desired goal of low-cost solar cells which might be fabricated with large operating surface areas. One particular problem associated with such proposed thin film silicon solar cell fabrication, however, is the attainment of a suitable "bottom" electrode disposed between the silicon thin film and a nonconducting substrate and possessing the operating and structural characteristics which permit the growth of large silicon crystallites, for improved operating efficiency; which does not react adversely to silicon, in order to prevent the formation of some silicides that adversely affect operational and structural characteristics of the cell; and, which have a thermal expansion coefficient similar to that of the adjacent silicon thin film, for improved adhesion properties.